Well, I may make a few enemies with this post, but I’ve had enough. Every now and then, I see a post on social media about how schools have “removed God.” This is complete and utter nonsense! I’ve also noticed that the people who post that garbage are the people who DON’T work in schools, and have no idea! Oh, and the most recent statement I saw was in response to the latest school shooting…..give me a break!

First of all, there is no law saying you can’t pray in school, or mention God. None. The law states that you cannot force anyone else to pray the way you pray, and educators can’t inflict their beliefs on their students. I’ve taught in public and private schools in several states, and have witnessed with my own eyes and ears how much God is present in our schools, through the people who work there, and the students they teach. I see teachers bow their heads in prayer. I hear teachers say, “God is good!” or “Praise God!” or “Thank you, Jesus!” on a daily basis. Frankly, if someone were forcing me to pray like them, I would be very unhappy. My relationship with God is MY business. I’ll pray the way I choose, and when and where I choose, which is exactly the reason for the law. Even Christians differ on how they worship. No one should be forced to do anything when it comes to religion. I have seen teachers hold hands and pray together, form Bible study groups, and offer prayers to co-workers, students, and families. I’ve also witnessed prayers around the flag pole, music programs which featured hymns, and silent prayers for veterans, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and tragedies our country has dealt with. How is that removing God from our schools?

I never remember people praying in school when I was growing up. Maybe they were quieter about it, but I don’t remember seeing it or hearing about it. So when did we exactly “remove” God from our schools? I see and hear more about faith and religion in schools more now than I ever did as a child. My children were members of FCA, Fellowship of Christian Athletes when they were in high school (actually, I think my daughter went for the free food, since she wasn’t exactly athletic). That didn’t exist when I was in school. I am familiar with at least one public high school that taught a Biblical history class in recent years. How is that removing God from our schools?

Another famous falsehood that circulates throughout social media is that schools no longer say the Pledge of Allegiance. We don’t??? Again, this infuriates me because it’s completely false, and comes from people who have no clue what they’re talking about. Yes, we say, “One nation, under God….” EVERY day! The only students I’ve ever taught who didn’t say it were the Jehovah’s Witness students. They pledge allegiance to God, not the flag, and most of the ones I have taught have been instructed by their parents to be respectful, but are not required to say it…..and it has never been an issue, so why should it be an issue for anyone else now? We’ve respected their rights, which is exactly what we should be doing for everyone. “One nation, under God….” How is that removing God from our schools?

By claiming that we have removed God and prayer from the schools shows very little faith on the part of the idiots saying it. I mean, if you are true Christians, does that mean you are able to just leave that part of yourself at the front door while you enter public buildings? Isn’t Christianity a way of being? A way of life? A commitment everywhere you go, and how you love and treat others? Aren’t you supposed to be a reflection of God’s love? Then how do you just take off that hat and leave it at the door? Statements like that make you appear very uninformed about not only what goes on in our schools, but also about what it is to be a Christian. I don’t think it’s that easy to take Christianity out of someone who is a true believer, and lives their lives according to the Bible. Actually, I know a few atheists and agnostics who are more in tune than some self proclaimed Christians! Doesn’t make you look like you are very dedicated to your own faith, now does it?

Instead of placing blame for school shootings on the lack of prayer (even though you’re free to pray wherever you like!), why not look at the combination of so many other things? Parents on drugs or in jail, poverty, lack of parental involvement, the availability to mental health care, gun laws that need to be updated according to our current needs, etc. To invent a reason such as no prayer in schools, is like saying the shooting happened because we started singing show tunes every day to start the day….it simply isn’t true, and is ridiculous! And I’m sick of it!

Stop blaming the schools! Stop spreading untruths on social media on this subject! Before stating something you think is fact, why not ask someone who does know? Better yet, how about YOU go volunteer in the schools, and see what actually goes on? Then, you’ll be free to form an educated opinion!

We’ve all heard the saying, “Everything happens for a reason.” Do any of you hate that saying as much as I do? I believe that SOME things happen for a reason, but not “everything.”

Usually, when that statement is made, it’s because we have learned a lesson by the events that have taken place, or the choices we’ve made. Yet, it’s also a cop out and lame excuse to make in order to justify an outcome, or to make sense of things. I understand that certain things in life happen in order to teach us something, or for us to make changes for the better. I understand that the choices we make help us to make better choices in the future, or at least, different choices. Yet, there is a whole lot of ugliness, hatefulness, selfishness, jealousy, spitefulness, violence, and evil in this world, which causes a lot of misery for others, at no fault of their own. That statement makes the victim’s pain seem insignificant…..and justified. That’s wrong.

The violence and abuse directed at children, innocent women in an abusive relationship, animal abuse, hate crimes against a person of color or someone “different” than them, and murder of completely innocent people happen FOR NO REASON. Why do we say that a child being tortured and murdered “happens for a reason?” How cruel is that for the child’s parents to hear? It’s ignorant and mean to say this around someone who is hurting. Is this said to make us feel better about not being able to prevent it? Is it said as a way to comfort ourselves in the event of tragedy? There are so many horrible, senseless tragedies that happen in our world to innocent victims. It’s unfair to treat their pain and suffering as something the rest of us can learn a lesson from.

Stop saying, “Everything happens for a reason.” It doesn’t. It’s mean. It’s stupid. Just because it makes YOU feel better for saying it, others, who have truly suffered at no fault of their own, find it painful. Everything does NOT happen for a reason. Just because you learned a little (or big) lesson on the path of life, does not mean that “everything” happens for a reason. Life is about learning, and finding who you are. Learning along the way is normal. If you don’t learn anything, then something is wrong with you, and you will continue to make the same mistakes along the way.

If events in your life were different, and if you made different choices, you would still learn something. You would still meet significant people along the way. You would still have goals and aspirations. Timing would still be important to what happens, and where you would end up. There would still be difficult people along the way. If you said then, that “everything happens for a reason,” then wouldn’t that contradict the life you have actually led? We don’t know how different things would be if certain events didn’t happen along the way. We don’t know what it would be like if we met different people, chose different careers, made different choices. We don’t know.

Every time I hear someone say, “Well, everything happens for a reason,” I want to tell them that I feel sorry for them. They obviously don’t have any faith in their own decision making, or confidence that they can make changes in their life. I also pity them for going through life having no compassion or empathy for anyone who has suffered. Do NOT say, “Everything happens for a reason” to someone who is hurting. Actually, just stop saying it altogether. Things happen. Life happens. We obtain goals. Dreams come true. Terrible events occur………lift each other up, support each other, and stop making the lame excuse of “everything happens for a reason.” It just happens.

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